Apparatus for producing motion-picture films.



A. F. GALL.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOTION PICTURE FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED O0T.12, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Sept. 8, 1914.

A. F. GALL.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOTION PICTURE FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED 00112, 1911.

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fife/Ii .exact description of UNI TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLPH F. GALL, OF WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOE, BY

MENTS, TO NEW JERSEY PATENT COMPANY,

CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MESNE ASSIGN- OI WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOTION-PICTURE FILMS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADoLPH F. GALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vest Orange, in the county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Motion-Picture Films; and I do declare the following to be a full, true, and

the said invention, suc as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing a motion picture film with a plurality of parallel rows of pictures thereon, the present application being particularly directed to the apparatus. The different rows of pictures on a lm of this character may represent difierentscenes or each row may represent a continuation o the scene represented by one of the other rows. \Vhen films of this type are sulficiently long, they are made up into rolls and when the film is exhibited, the direction of travel of the film is reversed when the end of each row is reached, as the film is alternately unrolled and rolled up. Thus, in a. positive film having three rows of pietures, such as I have shown in Figure Lot the drawings for purposes of illustration, one outside row will be exhibited by passing the film in one direction, for instance, downward, past the lens with that row behind the lens, until the end of the row is reached; the film is then shifted sidewise until the second row of pictures is and the film is then moved in the opposite direction, or upward until the end of that row is reached; then the film is again moved sidewise to bring the third row opposite the lens and the film is thenmoved in the origiany number of rows that the film might contain. Since each individual picture on such a film is projected upon the screen in identically the same manner as all the others on the film, without regard to the direction from which it is brought opposite the lens, all of the pictures must hawe the same relation to the film; that is, the base or ground line of each of the pictures will be toward one end of the film and the top or sky line toward the other end. If the original scene photographed is to be exactly reproduced,

behind the lens continued for quence is the one I have Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed October 12!, 1911.

Patented Sept. 8, 1914. Serial No. 654,224. 1

the sequenceinwhich the pictures are exhibited on the screen must be the same as that in which they were originally taken; that is, the first picture taken must be the first exhibited, followed by the second picture taken, and so on,to the end of the scene. In order to accomplish this, the sequence of the pictures in the rows exhibited by moving the film in one direction must be the reverse 0 that in the rows shown when the film is moved in the opposite direction. This will be more clearly shown by referring again to Fig. 1. Supposing that the original scene photographed was the flight of a black arrow 1 upwardly and to the left, as shown in Fig. 2, then the photographs of the left hand row of Fig. 1 would represent successive positions of the arrow 1 as it moved across the field of vision or as it apears to move on in the regular way. row in each picture points toward the top or sky line of that picture and away from the base or ground line. For convenience of illustration, I have represented the same scene on each of the three rows of the positive film shown in Fig. 1, and it will be seen that picture 101 in row 10, and picture 111 in row 11 occupy the same relation to the film so far as the objectsinthe picture itself are concerned. It will be seen, however, that picture 102 of row 10 is adjacent the base or ground line of picture 101 of that row, whereas picture 112 of row 11 is adjacent the top or sky line of picture 111 of that row. Row 11 cannot be obtained by a mere shifting or reversal of row 10 as an entirety and must be made by some process which will reverse the original sequence of the pictures without reversing the pictures themselves.

B original sequence I mean the in which the pictures are originally taken in the motion picture camera. This usually is such that the first picture is adjacent the sky line of the second picture, the second picture is adjacent the sky line of the third picture, and so on to the end of the negative. By reversed sequence, I mean a sequence of the pictures which is the reverse of the original se uence, the position of each picture in re erence to the axis of the film being unchanged. Thus, if the original sejust described, in

order the reverse sequence, the first picture is adj acent the ground line of the second picture. instead of the sky line of the second picture, the second picture is adjacent the ground line of the third picture, instead of the sky line of the third picture. and so on throughout the strip.

Ordinarily motion picture cameras are constructed to move the film across the lens from the top downward. This produces the usual sequence first described above. The handle of the camera may be turned backward or the camera may be so constructed as to move the film from the bottom upward. in which case the original sequence would be the reverse of the usual sequence first described above 01' the same as the one I have last described.

Each row of pictures on the positive film shown in Fig. 1. may and usually would represent scenes photographed at different times and without regard to the'positions they were to occupy on the positive film. All of the negatives would therefore be in original sequence and the problem present ed is to devise a simple and economical method of producing from a series of negatives. all in original sequence. a positive like Fig. 1. with the pictures of some of its rows in original and the remainder in reversed sequence. I have found that this may be accomplished by the method which consists. broadly. in placing the negati es side by side. passing light through one picture on each of the negatives. to the sensitized film onwhich the print is to be made. then closing off the light. and moving all of the negatives whose pictures are to be printed in original sequence. in one direction. and moving in the opposite direction all of the negatives whose pictures are to be printed in reversed sequence. all of such negatives being moved the space of one picture only. and then passing light through the next picture on each of the negatives to a fresh portion of the sensitized film. continuing this cycle to the end of the negatives.

The light may be passed through the negatives directly to the sensitized film as in contact printing. or it may be passed through a lens after passing through the negatives and before striking the sensitized film. as in projection printing.

In contact printing. the negative and sensitized films are ordinarily moved in th same direction. in which case a positive is printed with its pictures in the same sequence as the pictures on the negatives. If a positive with pictures in a sequence the reverse of the sequence of the negative should be required. the negative would have to be moved in one direction and the sensitized film in the opposite direction.

In projection printing. the negative and sensitized films are ordinarily moved in op l posite directions, which produces a positive with pictures in the same sequence as those of the negative. the lens reversing each picture to produce this effect. If the negative and sensitized films should be moved in the same direction. a positive in reverse sequence to the negative would be produced.

I may use either the contact or the projection method in printing the film of Fig. 1. although I prefer the latter. By the projection method. I am able to produce pictures on the positive which are smaller or larger in size than the corresponding pictures 011 the negatives. the lens in such case being adjusted to project on the sensitized surface a reduced or enlarged image of the picture on the negatives.

In printing from negatives all in original sequence. the positive film shown in Fig. 1. therefore. I prefer to use the method which consists in placing the negatives side by side in proper relation according to the positive to be printed. passing light through one pic ture of each negative. the light passing through a lens before striking the sensitized film: then closing off the light. moving all of the negatives whose pictures are to be printed in original sequence in one and the same direction. moving in the opposite direction all of the negatives whose pictures are to be printed in reversed sequence. and moving the sensitized film in the opposite direction to that in which the negatives whose pictures are to be printed in original sequence were moved. all of the negatives being moved a distance sufiicient to bring the nextpicture opposite the lens. and the sensitized film being moved a distance sufli eient to bring a fresh portion of its surface opposite the lens: then again passing light through the negatives and the lens. and re peating these steps to the ends of the negatives. The positive film is then properly developed and fixed. when it is ready to be projected. It should. be understood. however. that while the method just described is the one which I prefer. I may substitute contact for projection printing. in which case the negatives would be moved in the same direction as in projection printing. and the sensitized film in the opposite direction. to that in which it is moved in projection printing or vice versa.

For purposes of further illustration of my method. I will assume that it is desired to produce a positive. which when projected on a screen. will reproduce the scene shown in Fig. 9. which represents the flight of a black arrow across the field of vision from the ground at the right toward the sky and to the left. For ease of illustration I have assumed that the different rows of pictures in ig. 1 are such that each of them will depict this flight of the arrow when projected 011 the screen. To produce such a Fig. 1, according to my method, it would be necessary first to have three negatives as shown at 2, 3 and 4 in Fig. 3, each exactly alike, and as they would be taken of the scene depicted, in the ordinary camera and in original sequence. These three negatives would be placed sid by side, with the first picture on the two outside negatives and the last picture on the middle negative in alinement. These three pictures on the negatives are then exposed simultaneously, resulting in pictures 101, 117 and 121 on the positive. The light is then shut off, and the two outside negatives are moved downwardly and the middle negative upwardly a distance equal to the height of one picture, thus bringing the second pictures of the two outside negatives and the next to the last picture of the middle negative in alinement. The sensitized film is also film as shown in moved downwardly if the contact method of printing is used and upwardly if the projection method is used, and the light again passed through the three pictures on the negatives which are in alinement, and pictures 102, 116 and 122 on the positive are the result. This method will be continued until all of the pictures on the negatives positive, when the after it has been have been printed on the film of Fig. 1 will result, properly developed and fixed. An inspection of Figs. 1 and 3 will show that the pictures of the middle negative have had their sequence reversed in the printing of the middle row of the positive, whereas the two outside rows of the positive are in the same sequence as the two outside negatives.

While I have described my process as applied to the positive film illustrated in Fig. 1, it will, of course. be understood that I am not limited to this specific film. By my process, any positive having two or more rows of film, some in original and some in reverse sequence, may be produced, and it is also immaterial whether the rows with the pictures in reverse sequence are between those in the original sequence or not. It will also be understood that, while for convenience of illustration I have shown a positive with only seven pictures to each row, as a matter of fact, there is no limit to the length of each of the rows except the length of the While my method just described may be carried out by hand, it may also be done by mechanism, and I have illustrated in the drawings a simple means for doing this. This mechanism is in general like that shewn in my copending application No. 654,226 filed Oct. 12, 1911, in which the details of the device have been shown more fully.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 represents a positive film made in accordance with my invention and having three rows of pictures,

Fig. 2 represents diagrammatically the original scene photographed and the pictures of which are reproduced on the positive film of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a view showing three negatives containing pictures of the scene of Fig. 2 and from which the positive film of Fig. 1 is produced, Fig. 4 represents a side elevation of a complete machine for carrying out my improved method, Fig. 5, a plan view of the film bank, partly broken away,.of the machine of Fig. 4, Fig. 6, a front view of the negative handling mechanism of the machine shown in Fig. 4, and Fig. 7, a cross section thereof on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Referring now to Fig. 4, 30 is a bed plate on which is mounted a source of light 31, a system of condensing lenses 32, the mechanism for handling the negative films represented generally by 33, the mechanism for handling the sensitized film represented generally by 34, and at 35 is shown a telescope for focusing purposes. 36 represents a bank of rollers to be described more in detail hereafter, these rollers being used to support the negatives when they are made up in continuous bands, as is sometimes convenient. 38 represents a source of power to operate the machine, connected by a belt 28 with a pulley 50 on the main driving shaft 115 of the negative handling mechanism 33 of Fig. 4. 47 is a shaft conveying power from the shaft 115 to the mechanism 34.

In Fig. 4, 33 represents generally a mechanism in which a plurality of negative films may be moved intermittently past exposure openings, some of the films being moved in one direction and the remainder in the oppo= site direction, all of the films being brought to rest before the exposure openings while light is passed through them from the source of light 31. Referring particularly to Figs. 6 and 7, 80 is a frame supporting the various parts of the mechanism. 82 represents an in termittently operated shaft having sprocket wheels 22 thereon to engage with the perforations in the negatives to be handled by the mechanism. This shaft is given its intermittent motion from the main shaft .by means of the well-known Geneva star and pin wheel, represented generally at 105. At the left hand end of the shaft 82 is provided a set of bevel gears 13 communicating through the shaft 51 with a second set of bevel gears, 14, one of which is on the outer lend of the shaft 82. Fhis shaft 82'.has attached to it a sprocket wheel 23 for handling one of the three negatives which may be passed through the machine illustrated. It will be obvious that when the shaft 82 turns, shaft 82 turns in synchronism therewith. 81 and 83 represent shafts at the top and bottom of the mechanism respectively, and these shafts are continuously (Fig. 6) v rotated through the bevel gearing 16 connecting these shafts with the main driving shaft 115.

A gate 85 hinged at 52 is provided to bear against the Hat portion 20 of the frame 80, and this gate and fiat portion of the frame form a chute in which the film during ex posure may be held by springs attached to the gate 85 as shown and described in my copending case referred to above. The plate 20 also contains an exposure opening 84 for each of the negatives.

I have provided a means by which the negative films may be shifted relatively to each other to enable the photographs thereon to be brought in alinement, and also so that a picture on each will lie directly behind one of the exposure openings 84 at the time light is passed through the negatives. Any form of suitable adjustment may be used for this purpose. but I prefer the form shown in Fig. 7 in which 131 is a sprocket roller supported on a bar 132, which bar may be made to slide horizontally by means of the pinion controlled by the handle 103, the pinion engaging in a rack 133 on the bar 132. hen the roller 131 is in proper adjustment, the bar 132 is clamped in place by the screw 104. Each of the negatives to be handled by the mechanism is supplied with one of.

I these adjusting mechanisms, and in the mamounted in guides on the chine illustrated in the drawings, the adj ustment for the middle film is above the exposure opening, and for each of the remain ing films is below the exposure opening 84.

106 represents a shutter comprising a plate having openings therein, this plate being frame 80 so as to be moved past the exposure openings 84. The plate is provided with a rack 110 and through the segmental gears 107, the rack bar 108 and the cam 109, which may be op-- erated by suitable gearing (not shown) from shaft 115, the shutter 106 is reciprocated so guide roller 12,

that the openings therein pass across the exposure openings 84 once for each exposure.

In the mechanism described, the middle negative is led into the machine by being passed around the bottom guide roller 53,

mounted loosely on. a stud 54, and inde-.

pendent of the guide rollers 55 and 56. From thence, it passes around the rear side of the middle sprocket 21 on the shaft 83, and around the rear side of the middle sprocket 22 on the shaft 82. It will be noted that there is a loop of slack film formed between the shafts 82 and 83. From 82, the film passes through the chute formed behind the gate 85, over the ad ustmg sprocket 131, around the sprocket 23 on the shaft 82', then around the rear of the mlddle sprocket 24 on shaft 81, and over the upper which is identical in construction with the guide roller 53.

The two outernegatives are led in over the upper guide rollers 10 and 11 around the front side of the sprockets 24 on shaft 81. thence through the chute formed behind the gate 85. around the front of the sprockets 22- on the shaft 82. around the front of the sprockets 21 on the shaft 83 and around the guide rollers 55 and 56. A loop is formed in each of these films between the shaft 81 and the film chute, and also between the shafts 82 and 83. Guide or nipping rollers 57, 58, 59, 60, and 61 are provided on the various sprockets to hold the films in contact therewith.

'hen the shaft 82 is given an intermittent contra-clockwise motion, the shaft 82 will be given a corresponding clockwise motion. This will result in moving the middle film intermittently upward. and the two outside films intermittently downward. The sprockets 24 and 21 on the shafts S1 and S3 are provided to feed the proper amount of film to be taken up by each of the intermittent motions of the sprockets on the shafts 82 and 82'. Vhile the films are being moved, the shutter 106 covers the exposure openings 84, but as soon as the films have come to rest, the shutter is moved so that its openings pass across the exposure openings 84, and the light from the lamp 31 passes through the pictures held at the exposure openings 84.

Referring now to 34 of Fig. 4, 39 represents generally a lower light-tight film box, and 40 an upper film box of similar construction. 41 is a light-tight tube connecting these two film boxes, and 76 is a lens which focuses the light passing through the negatives at the exposure openings 84 onto the sensitized film in the tube 41. The tube 41 has an exposure opening in it' in line with openings 84. The mechanism 34 is provided with suitable devices of the wellknown type used in printing machines to move the sensitized film intermittently step by step from the box 39, through the tube 41, to the box 40, so as to bring an unexposed portion opposite the exposure opening in .41 at each movement. Reference is made to my co-pending application, above referred to, for a detailed description of mechanism 34.

As I have pointed out, it is sometimes convenient to join the ends of each of the negativesso as to form a continuous band. This is particularly true when the negatives are relatively short as compared with the total length of sensitized film which the boxes-39 and 40 will hold, since by this means it is possible to print the entire length of the negative several times on the supply of sensitized film without resetting or rewinding the negatives, as would be otherwise required if the negatives were not formed into bands. In the method which I have just described, and in which some of the negatives may be moved in one direction, and some of the negatives moved in the other direction, a film bank of peculiar the two outside ne atives pass into the film bank at the bottom. Rollers 62 and 63 are mounted on vertically adjustable member 64, so as to provide suitable tension for the loops of film. The number of rollers in the'film bank, of course, is dependent only on the length of film required to be supported.- The rollers 66-67 obtain their motion through the chain 37 driven by a sprocket 70 on the shaft 81 of the negative handling mechanism 33, and the motion between the several rollers is communicated by gearing 71 as shown. The rollers 65 at the bottom of the film bank are idler rollers made up in three parts, each of which rotates independently of the other rollers on the same spindle supporting them similar to rollers 53,- 55 and 56 supported on spindle 54 as shown in Fig. 6.

Briefly described, the operation of the particular form of apparatus herein disclosed is as follows: The main driving shaft 115 of the negative handling mechanism 33 is driven by means of belt 28, connecting pulley 50, fastened to the main shaft 115 and the source of power 38. Shaft 82 with sprockets 22 is operated intermittently from main shaft 115 by the Geneva movement 105, and shaft 82 with its sprocket 23 is operated in synchronism with shaft 82 by means of bevel gears 13, shaft 51 and bevel gears 14, Shafts 83 and 81 with their sprocket wheels 21 and 24 are continuously rotated from the main shaft 115 by bevel gearing 16. The sprockets 21, 22, 23 and' 24 serve to drive the two outside negative films downwardly through mechanism 33 and the middle negative film upwardly, the pictures of all these films being intermit tently and successively brought to rest be. fore exposure openings '84 as hereinbefore' described. Cam 109 is so shaped and isoperated from shaft 115 in such a manner that during movement of the negative. films between periods of rest, shutter 106 is moved thereby through rack 108, segmental gears 107 and rack 110 to close exposure openings 84' and shut off the ligfit from lamp 31' and the condensing lenses 32, while, when the negatives are'at rest, with/a picture of each they 33 over the rollers 62, 63, 65, 66 and 67 registering with openings 84, shutter 106 is moved to uncover openings 84 and allow the light from lamp 31 and condensing lenses 32 to pass therethrough and the pictures of the negatives registering therewith to project images of these pictures on the sensitized film of mechanism 34. Power is conveyed to mechanism 34 from main shaft 115 by shaft 47, the sensitized film on which positives are produced from the pictures on negative films 2, 3, and 4 passing through mechanism 33. being moved intermittently step by step from box 39 of mechanism 34 through the light tight tube 41 to the box 40 so as to bring an unexposed portion of the sensitized film opposite the exposure opening in tube 41 at each movement. The sensitized film is moved in synchronism, by mechanism 34, with the negative films 2, 3 and 4 in a manner fully described in my co-pending application referred to above whereby the pictures of the negatives are reproduced upon the sensitized film in the desired arrangement. hen the negative films are formed in endless bands or webs, are passed to and from the mechanism of film bank 36, the rollers of the film bank 1 being suitably operated as by means of sprocket 70 of meohanism- 33 and chain 37 connecting the sprocket-with the gearing 71 of the film bank. 'The negatii'es may be separately adjusted in the mechanism 33 so as to bring the pictures .thereof in aline ment by independent mechanisms, each com-- prising roller 131, bar 132 provided with rack 133, piniorg13 5,'and handle 103.

WVhile I have illustrated and described a printing mechanism handling only three negatives, and particularly adapted to handle the negatives 2, 3 and 4 shown 111 Fig. 3, so as to produce the positive. shown in Fig. 1, it will be understood, of course, that I am not limited to this specific mechanism. Any number of films may be moved in one direction and any number in the opposite 'direction, in the mechanism shown, by so constructing the machine as to provide a suitable number of sprocket wheels on-the several shafts, bearing in mind that shaft 82 is used to give an intermittent motion to a series of films in one. direction, and shaft 82 to a series of films in the opposite direction.

Having now described my invention, What I claim is:

1. In a motion picture printing machine, means to move a negative film intermlttently in one direction, means to move another. negative film intermittently in the opposite direction, means to move a single sensitized film in synchronism with said negatives and means including a device for projecting light to print photographically and simultaneously on the single sensitized film, one picture fromeach of the negative films, substantially as described.

2. In a motion picture printing machine, means to move a negative film intermittently in one direction, means to move another negative film intermittently in the opposite direction, and means to shift the relative position of the negatives to bring the pictures thereof in alinement, substantiall v as described.

3. In a motion picture printing machine, means to move a negative film intermittently in one direction, means to move a sensitized film intermittently and in synchronism with said negative, means to move a second negative film intermittently and in synchronism with said first named negative and said sensitized films, but in the opposite direction, and means including a device for projecting light to photographically and simultaneously print on said sensitizedfilm one picture from each negative, substan tially aS described.

4. In a motion picture printing machine, means to move a negative film intermittently in one direction, means to move a sensitized film intermittently and in synchronism with said negative, means to move a second negative intermittently and in synchronism with said first named negative and said sensitized films, but in the opposite direction, means including a device for projecting light to photographically and simultaneously print on said sensitized film, one

picture from each negative, and means to shift the relative positions of the negatives to bring the pictures thereof in alinement, substantially as described.

5. In a motion icture printing machine, a plate having a pihrality f exposure openings therein, means for moving a negative film intermittently and past one of said openings in one direction, means for moving another negative film intermittently past another of said openings and in the opposite direction, means for intermittently moving a sensitized film parallel to said negatives and in synchronism. therewith, and means to pass light through said negative films and exposure openings on to said sensitized film, when all the films are at rest, substantially as described.

6. In a motion picture printing machine, a plate having a plurality of exposure openings therein, means for moving a negative film intermittently and past one of said openings in one direction, means for moving another negative film intermittently past another of said openings and in the opposite direction, means for intermittently moving a sensitized film parallel to said negatives and in synchronism therewith, driving means for all f said moving means, means to pass light through said negative films and exposure openings on to said sensitized film, when all the films are at rest, and means controlled by said driving means to cut off the passage of light while the films are in motion, substantially as described.

In a motion picture printing machine, mechanism to support and intermittently move a plurality of negative films in a single plane, some in one direction and the remainder in the opposite direction, mechan ism to support and move a single sensitized film in synchronism with said negatives and in a plane parallel to-the plane of said negatives, a lens adapted and arranged to simultaneously focus one picture of each of said negatives on the single sensitized fihn, and means providing for the passage of light through such pictures and the lens while all the films are atrest, substantially as described.

8. In a motion picture printing machine, means to support andmove a plurality ofi endless bands of negative films, some in one direction and the remainder in the opposite direction, means to move a single sensitized film in synchronism with said negatives, and means including a device for projecting light to simultaneously print on the single sensitized film one photograph of eachot said negatives, substantially as described.

9. In a motion picture printing machine, means to support and move a plurality of endless bands of negative films, some in one direction and the remainder in the opposite direction, means to move a single sensitized film in synchronism with said negatives,

means to shift-the relative positions of the negatives to bring the ictures thereof in alinement, and means inc uding a device for projecting light to simultaneously print on the single sensitized film one photograph of each of said negatives, substantially as described.

.This specification signed and witnessed 

